[mythtv] Using Release Candidates to minimize user trouble?

[Tobias Blomberg]

On Thursday 25 December 2003 07.17, Isaac Richards wrote:
> On Thursday 25 December 2003 12:12 am, Kenneth Aafløy wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I was wondering if the use of MythTV release candidates would actually
> > help MythTV's releases mature before the actual release, or if they
> > would just hinder the current main focus for MythTV development, which
> > is major feature enhancements.
> >
> > I would argue that release candidates would make the release version as
> > bugfree as possible, but this would imply a increased load on support
> > questions and the like. So what about an intermediate sollution, which
> > would be to just tag the CVS reposotory with release-0-14-rcX, in a
> > greater period of time, so that all developers actually could follow the
> > last steps of bugfixing a bit more close than a mere 'I'm planning a
> > release next week.' type of message on the forum?
> >
> > I'm unsure of wheter this would actually ease the release cycle or put a
> > larger strain on the MythTV team, so comments on this subject is wery
> > welcome.
>
> Well, I'd say that just a release candidate tag kind of defeats the purpose
> of doing a release candidate, as people testing with it would not be
> getting any bugfixes done since tagging unless the tag was moved after each
> commit.

I am using CVS branches to do this right now in another project. For example 
for the next release:
* Split off a rel-0_14 branch (CVS don't like dots in the tag names)
* Only do bugfixes in that branch
* Tag and release as rel-0_14_0, rel-0_14_1
* Continue "bleeding-edge" development in the HEAD branch
* Merge bugfixes from the branch into HEAD at each release


> I don't really like doing actual release candidates, mainly because of the
> time commitment.  Takes me quite a while to go through and get everything
> ready..  Also, it breaks my version numbering scheme =)

Agreed, takes more time but brings better order. See above about extended 
version numbers :-)


> I dunno, I just consider my 'I'm going to put out a release in a week'
> emails to be a release candidate type thing.

Good enough for me since I normally run the CVS version :-)

/ Tobbe